BUSINESS guru Nick Jones of Great Tew-based club Soho Farmhouse and Ultimo bra founder Baroness Michelle Mone will offer free advice to Oxfordshire firms in a business masterclass next month.
The pair are coming to The Ashmolean Museum on Wednesday, May 18, as part of government-backed programme Entrepreneurs Exchange, aimed at encouraging small firms to expand.
The event, which starts at 6pm, includes talks from Mr Jones and Baroness Mone about the challenges they overcame plus Q&A and networking slots.
The free, two-hour session is part of a national programme involving 40 entrepreneurs across 20 towns and cities.
Other well-known self-starters running sessions in other parts of the country include Ann Summers boss Jacqueline Gold, Carphone Warehouse founder Sir Charles Dunstone and Justine Roberts, who created Mumsnet.
Prime Minister and Witney MP David Cameron said: "The passion and self-starting spirit of Britain’s entrepreneurs are a driving force of our economic success.
"It’s great to see such influential people who have built businesses from the ground up passing on their experience and expertise.
"This will inspire the next generation, who I am sure will value the support and I am sure that Entrepreneurs Exchange will be a great success."
Justin Jackson who runs Oxford-based marketing agency Digital Remit and helps other start-ups through his role as a regional champion for national network Enterprise Nation, said it was "great" that Entrepreneurs Exchange was coming to Oxford.
She said: "I know, from experience, that taking that first step to set up in business feels like a huge leap.
"And, once you’re up and running, thinking about how to grow the business is vital - it doesn’t just happen by itself.
"That’s where events like this come in because they encourage would-be entrepreneurs to get started and, for the rest of us, provide time out, even if just a few hours, to think about the direction we want to take our business."
Nick Jones, who runs a string of private clubs, hotels and restaurants in London and around the world, lives in Oxfordshire with his wife, journalist Kirsty Young and their children.
For more information, or to book a place, visit entrepreneurs-exchange.co.uk
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